Woo-hoo! Dr. Lou!

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ROTARY CLUB OF SAULT STE. MARIE ************************* Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie marks 90th anniversary

SAULT STE. MARIE ON - Ninety years young and still providing ‘service above self” for the community of Sault Ste. Marie.

The Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie will be celebrating their 90th anniversary this Friday, June 20, and will be marking the occasion with special award presentations and an address from Wilf Wilkinson, Rotary International president. This is only the second time a Rotary International president has visited Sault Ste. Marie.

Rotary International’s top award, the Paul Harris Fellow, will be presented to four outstanding community citizens that evening. Those to receive this recognition are: Roberta Bondar, Craig Hartsburg, Dr. Lou Lukenda [shown] and Dr. David Walde.

All but Hartsburg will be in attendance.

Other duties for President Wilkinson while he is in the city include the grand opening of the new Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie office at 364 Queen Street East and a special presentation at the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre-Algoma. Both events will be on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. and 11a.m. respectively.

History

The Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie was established in 1918. The club’s primary charitable mandate is physically disabled children and other youth projects.

The club assists Easter Seals Ontario by presenting fund-raising events such as the Easter Seals Telethon, Penny Power and Snowarama.

The club donates $30,000 to Easter Seals yearly.

Other fundraising projects are held throughout the year to support their many local projects. These include: the Bell Celebrity Skate and Swim, the Battle of the Sections and the “Take Your Pick” car draw.

Noting the proud history of the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie, we realize that Rotary has empowered countless youngsters to grow strong and believe in their own potential.

The Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie currently has 100 members.

1922 - Community Night: the first parade was held to provide funds to purchase a car for the city nurse

1923 - Crippled Children Clinic: The club undertook to look after crippled children in the district. Until 1947, only one doctor came from Toronto

1927 - Flowers and Sick Visitation Committee: Each member contributes once a year, at the time of his or her birthday to finance flowers, fruit baskets and cards for any Rotarian who is ill

1938 - Rural Relations: The Club started participating in the 4H club movement with one Dairy Calf Club

1952 - Rotary Children’s Centre: Since its inception, approximately $240,000 has been expended on the Rotary Children’s Centre and its preceding units. It currently operates in the former James Lyons School building and has been renamed the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre - Algoma

1956 - Sports Celebrities Dinner: Held annually to honour our local athletes and is highlighted by the presentation of the H.P. Broughton Memorial Trophy

1957 - Tennis Court: A five-year agreement struck with the St. Marys River Boat Club to rebuild and maintain the tennis courts for the exclusive use of the children and instructors, the first of many Rotary tennis courts throughout the city

1960 - Davey Home: Installation of a public address system and piped-in music

1968 - St. Marys River Boat Club: The land of the burned-out boat club was acquired to provide a clubhouse and equipment to be maintained by the YMCA for outdoor summer youth activities. It is now known as RYTAC

1975 - Snowarama: Started by Whipper Billy Watson and organized by service clubs, the first was held on St. Joseph Island with 170 riders completing the 100 mile course and raising over $16,000

1981 - Thankful Tankful: Rotarians manned the gas pumps at Esso stations throughout the city to raise money for The Easter Seal Telethon

1982 - The Rotary Easter Seal Superthon: This yearly star-studded telethon has become the number one fund raiser for Easter Seals locally

1988 - Science Fair: Stimulates an interest in science and technology among young Canadians in elementary and secondary school

1995 - Battle of the Sections: Sponsored by Petro Canada. Started here to raise funds for “Kids First!” - the Easter Seal Telethon - by passing the hat at a Greyhound game

1996 - It was decided in increase the cost of car draw tickets from $5 to $20. They had originally been $1, then increased to $2 or three for $5 and more recently to $5

1998 - Rotary Play Centre, Bellevue Park: In June 1998 the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie in cooperation with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board opened the new playground in the park. The $130,000 donation more than doubled the size of the existing playground

1998 - Sault Area Hospitals’ pediatrics: Rotarians begin an ongoing program by supplying small necessities: soap, shampoo, conditioner, combs and toothpaste

1998 - Therapeutic Ride Program : In the summer of 1999, Woodland Springs offered their stables as a venue for the ride program and conducted four very successful six-week ride programs

2002 - Children’s Rehabilitation Centre of Algoma: The Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie donates $25,000 so that the Children’s Centre can upgrade their day care facility to meet provincial standards to become a full day program

2002 - $25,000 was committed over the next two years to the Cardiac Care Unit of the Sault Area Hospital for heart monitors

2005 - $24,000 was pledged to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation over the next two years for a new procedure light for the minor O.R. Unit

2005 - $86,000 was donated to purchase additional playground equipment for Bellevue through a joint Rotary Centennial Project with Sault North Rotary. The city donated $50,000

2007 - $100,000 pledged over a five-year term in support of the Sault Area Hospital.

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